


This Agony Is Your Triumph

by wickedblackbird



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Gap Filler
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23101450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedblackbird/pseuds/wickedblackbird
Summary: Everything goes up in flames. Adam is nothing if not resourceful.A progression from 1975 to 1984.
Relationships: Big Boss/Ocelot, Ocelot/Venom Snake (Metal Gear)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	This Agony Is Your Triumph

**Author's Note:**

> Big Boss will be referred to as Boss, Snake, and John/Jack. Venom Snake will be either Boss or Snake. Hopefully context will make clear who’s who. No other Snakes are currently anticipated.

_Prologue - October 1975_

Adam was bored.

Being back in the United States after a stint of more hands-on work in Cambodia could have felt like a vacation, but it did not. Adam was not the sedentary type. He as masquerading as an aide to a a Pentagon general, part of an entourage whose entire purpose seemed to be following the old man from meeting to meeting to make him seem more important. It was absurdly easy to be there to take notes. If only any of them had anything interesting to say. Adam spent most of his time listening with one ear to endless circular arguments re-treading the same sorry ground over Russian nuclear capabilities while idly imagining the many and sundry ways he could inflict pain on everyone in the room.

He wondered what the reaction would be if he pointed out that they should be more worried about the Russian programs to develop biological weapons than the presence of some warheads. It was a blessed relief when an hour recess was finally called.

Adam was pouring himself a cup of coffee, mentally composing reports to both Snake and Zero (largely: _nothing to report, fucking waste of time_ ), when someone behind him said:

”Well, shit.”

Turning around made Adam’s world tilt on its axis. Everyone in the room was staring, rapt, at the television. On the screen, a news anchor was speaking in front of a grainy photo of the flaming ruins of Mother Base.

”Could someone turn that up?” he asked numbly, mouth stiff and uncooperative. A dial was turned, and noise blared into the room, too sharp, too loud. 

“—of an explosion at an offshore base belonging to the paramilitary group known as Militaires Sans Frontières. The explosion occurred mid-morning, mere hours after the completion of an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The inspection was in response to rumours regarding the presence of unregulated nuclear weaponry at the base, though no evidence was found to support the claim. A spokesman from the UN said that everything appeared to be in order, and that the MSF had been cleared to continue assisting in peacekeeping operations. While no formal explanation has been made, early reports indicate that the explosion may have been caused by a faulty valve in the base’s fuel reserves. As yet, rescue teams have found no survivors.”

A cacophony of voices broke out as the news continued to the next story, the room humming with speculation, but Adam was unable to focus on any of it.

 _No_ _survivors_.

That couldn’t be right. Snake was a force of nature, an immutable fact of the universe. A single, poorly disguised strike was in no way enough to kill him. And over what? Rumours of a Metal Gear? Very few people knew the truth of ZEKE’s existence. And Adam would kill all of them to find out the truth.

Maybe John hadn’t even been there.

No one noticed as Adam left the room. He forced himself to walk slowly, confidently; not to snarl at anyone who got in his path. There was a burning in his chest that grew with each step. The walk to his safe house could have taken a second or a million years for all he noticed. Inside, the phone was already ringing.

”Major Ocelot,” Zero’s voice hummed down the line. “It would seem you are needed in Costa Rica.”

and everything snapped back into focus.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it’s a start. I have plans to play sort of fast and loose with the canon of the games, but also to work in some actual events from the Cold War to help shape some of the decisions that get made. We’ll see how it goes.
> 
> Title is a reference to “Here’s To You” by Ennio Morricone and Joan Baez.


End file.
